History of the Prophets and Kings

Al-Tabari's history is presented as a master narrative or history from an Islamic point of view, ultimately dedicated to demonstrating that Islam is the true religion. The main episodes of Al-Tabari's master narrative are: • The creation of the world by God • The many prophets God sends to warn humanity • The history of the empires before Islam. Special focus on Iran. • Dedicated histories of the South Arabian kingdoms and northern Arabs pre-Islam. Focus on Mecca and the Quraysh. • A life of Muhammad. • The succession of caliphs (beginning with Abu Bakr) after the death of Muhammad. • The ridda wars (during the reign of Abu Bakr). • The early Islamic conquests during the reign of Umar and afterwards. • Early civil wars, especially those of Shiite and Khwarij groups. • The overthrow of the Rashidun Caliphate by the Umayyad Caliphate, followed by the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate by the Abbasid Caliphate • A history of Abbasid rule (including uprisings during this time) • The succession of governors, commanders, and other figures that represent the human embodiment of the Islamic tradition during this time ==Context==

A number of other master narratives of pre-Islamic and Islamic history were written in the era of Al-Tabari. The most well-known is Ibn Ishaq's Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, which largely focuses on the life of Muhammad. Another is the Kitab al-Maghazi of Al-Waqidi, the Kitab al-futuh (Book of Conquests) of Ibn A'tham al-Kufi, and the Futuh al-buldan of Al-Baladhuri. The Book of Idols of Ibn al-Kalbi focuses on the religious pre-Islamic history of Arabia. There was also one annalistic work predating that of Al-Tabari: the ''Ta'rikh'' Khalifa ibn Khayyat (d. 854). This work roughly uses the same outline/approach as does Al-Tabari, with the exception that it omits a discussion of pre-Islamic history. It is also much shorter in general than Al-Tabari's. Another known ''Ta'rikh'' is that of Al-Ya'qubi, which has a moderate Shiite orientation. Al-Ya'qubi covers some topics in more detail that are more briefly or not at all covered by Al-Tabari, including administration, and commentary on India, China, and Egypt. The Kitab al-ta'rikh of Ibn Habib (d. 852) covers early Islamic history with a focus on administrative matters. He also covers biographies of hadith scholars and the region of Al-Andalus. Other works to this effect were written as well. == Sources ==

• Vol. 01 General Introduction and from the Creation to the Flood (Franz Rosenthal) • Vol. 02 Prophets and Patriarchs (William Brinner) • Vol. 03 The Children of Israel (William Brinner) • Vol. 04 The Ancient Kingdoms (Moshe Perlmann) • Vol. 05 The Sassanids, the Byzantines, the Lakhmids, and Yemen (C. E. Bosworth) • Vol. 06 Muhammad at Mecca (W. Montgomery Watt and M.V. McDonald) • Vol. 07 The Foundation of the Community - Muhammad at al-Madina, A. D. 622-626 (M.V. McDonald) • Vol. 08 The Victory of Islam (Michael Fishbein) • Vol. 09 The Last Years of the Prophet: The Formation of the State, A.D. 630-632-A.H. 8-11 (Ismail Poonawala) • Vol. 10 The Conquest of Arabia, A. D. 632-633 - A. H. 11 (Fred M. Donner) • Vol. 11 The Challenge to the Empires (Khalid Blankinship) • Vol. 12 The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and the Conquest of Syria and Palestine (Yohanan Friedmann) • Vol. 13 The Conquest of Iraq, Southwestern Persia, and Egypt: The Middle Years of 'Umar's Caliphate, A.D. 636-642-A.H. 15-21 (G.H.A. Juynboll) • Vol. 14 The Conquest of Iran, A. D. 641-643 - A. H. 21-23 (G. Rex Smith) • Vol. 15 The Crisis of the Early Caliphate: The Reign of Uthman, A. D. 644-656 - A. H. 24-35 (R. Stephen Humphreys) • Vol. 16 The Community Divided: The Caliphate of Ali I, A. D. 656-657-A. H. 35-36 (Adrian Brockett) • Vol. 17 The First Civil War: From the Battle of Siffin to the Death of Ali, A. D. 656-661-A. H. 36-40 (G. R. Hawting) • Vol. 18 Between Civil Wars: The Caliphate of Mu'awiyah 40 A.H., 66 A.D.-60 A.H., 680 A.D. (Michael G. Morony) • Vol. 19 The Caliphate of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, A. D. 680-683 - A. H. 60-64 (I. K. A. Howard) • Vol. 20 The Collapse of Sufyanid Authority and the Coming of the Marwanids: The Caliphates of Mu'awiyah II and Marwan I (G. R. Hawting) • Vol. 21 The Victory of the Marwanids, A. D. 685-693-A. H. 66-73 (Michael Fishbein) • Vol. 22 The Marwanid Restoration: The Caliphate of 'Abd al-Malik: A.D. 693-701 - A.H. 74-81 (Everett K Rowson) • Vol. 23 The Zenith of the Marwanid House: The Last Years of 'Abd al-Malik and the Caliphate of al-Walid A.D. 700-715-A.H. 81-95 (Martin Hinds) • Vol. 24 The Empire in Transition: The Caliphates of Sulayman, 'Umar, and Yazid, A. D. 715-724-A. H. 96-105 (Stephan Powers) • Vol. 25 The End of Expansion: The Caliphate of Hisham, A.D. 724-738-A.H. 105-120 (Khalid Blankinship) • Vol. 26 The Waning of the Umayyad Caliphate: Prelude to Revolution, A.D. 738-744 - A.H. 121-126 (Carole Hillenbrand) • Vol. 27 The Abbasid Revolution, A. D. 743-750 - A. H. 126-132 (John Alden Williams) • Vol. 28 The Abbasid Authority Affirmed: The Early Years of al-Mansur (Jane Dammen McAuliffe) • Vol. 29 Al-Mansur and al-Mahdi, A.D. 763-786-A.H. 146-169 (Hugh N. Kennedy) • Vol. 30 The Abbasid Caliphate in Equilibrium: The Caliphates of Musa al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid, A. D. 785-809 - A. H. 169-192 (C. E. Bosworth) • Vol. 31 The War Between Brothers, A. D. 809-813 - A. H. 193-198 (Michael Fishbein) • Vol. 32 The Absolutists in Power: The Caliphate of al-Ma'mun, A.D. 813-33 - A.H. 198-213 (C. E. Bosworth) • Vol. 33 Storm and Stress Along the Northern Frontiers of the Abbasid Caliphate (C. E. Bosworth) • Vol. 34 Incipient Decline: The Caliphates of al-Wathiq, al-Mutawakkil and al-Muntasir, A.D. 841-863-A.H. 227-248 (Joel L Kraemer) • Vol. 35 The Crisis of the Abbasid Caliphate (George Saliba) • Vol. 36 The Revolt of the Zanj, A. D. 869-879 - A. H. 255-265 (David Waines) • Vol. 37 The Abbasid Recovery: The War Against the Zanj Ends (Philip M Fields) • Vol. 38 The Return of the Caliphate to Baghdad: The Caliphate of al-Mu'tadid, al-Muktafi and al-Muqtadir, A.D. 892-915 (Franz Rosenthal) • Vol. 39 Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors: al-Tabari's Supplement to His History (Ella Landau-Tasseron) • Vol. 40 Index (Prepared by Alex V Popovkin under the supervision of Everett K. Rowson) ==Editions==

Editions include: • An edition published under the editorship of M.J. de Goeje in three series comprising 13 volumes, with two extra volumes containing indices, introduction and glossary (Leiden, 1879–1901). • An edition published under the editorship of Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim (1905-1981) in 10 volumes (Cairo: Dar al-Ma'arif, 1960–1969.) • A Persian digest of this work, made in 963 by the Samanid scholar al-Bal'ami, translated into French by Hermann Zotenberg (vols. i.-iv., Paris, 1867–1874). • An English translation in 39 volumes (plus index), published by the State University of New York Press from 1985 through 2007. Various editors and 29 translators. (hc), (pb), Author: Tabari (various translators), Publisher: SUNY Press ==See also==